It's Never That Easy
by Realhuntress
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple hunt for a rare creature called a Nukekubi. But the Winchesters discover that nothing about this hunt is simple - especially when the past catches up with them. Rated T for child imperilment.
1. Chapter 1

Well, thanks to Alice I's encouragement, I've finally posted a story longer than a drabble! Please tell me what you folks think. I'm trying to better myself as a writer, so constructive criticism welcome! And thanks for reading!

The Nukekubi in this story comes from an actual Japanese legend. I have stuck to the facts of the legend as well as I could. There are some details that are lacking in the legends, so I've taken a few liberties to fill these in. A couple of interesting points that I could not work into the story - the Nukekubis were supposed to look like a human during the day, distinguishable only by a ring of red markings around the neck. Also, they would sometimes live in groups.

This story is set during season 4, sometime after Yellow Fever, with references to Born Under a Bad Sign.

Enjoy!

****************************************************************************

"A nookywhatsy?" Dean asked as he eased the Impala around a long curve in the two lane road snaking through southwestern Missouri. The piercing twin beams from the headlights revealed only trees hugging the edges of the blacktop.

"A Nukekubi. Bobby says it's from a Japanese legend dating back to the Edo period. Story goes, it looks like a normal human in the daytime, but at night, the head detaches from the body and flies around. "

Dean shook his head. "Leave it to Bobby to come up with some creepy-ass Japanese monster."

Sam chuckled. "And… it feeds on human blood."

"Oh, great! It's the Headless Horseman meets Dracula!" Dean's brow puckered as a thought occurred to him. "Can it turn people into nook…whatevers?"

"No, they just drain them dry."

"So how do we kill it?"

"According to Bobby, the head is damn near indestructible; however, the body is just as vulnerable as a human. All we have to do is find the body while the head's detached. Then, we either destroy the body, or simply hide it where the head can't find it. If the head can't reattach itself by sunup, it dies."

Dean glanced over at his brother. "And when has any hunt ever been that easy?"

*****

**6 hours later:**

"I _told_ you it wasn't gonna be that easy!" Dean groaned as he picked himself up off the dirt floor of the ramshackle abandoned barn – again.

Sam didn't answer – mainly because he was trying not to scream. The Nukekubi had managed to knock him off the edge of the hayloft, where he'd landed hard a few feet away from Dean. Besides the deep cut and knot on his head, he was pretty sure his shoulder was dislocated - or broken.

Dean offered a hand to his brother and pulled him upright. "You okay?"

"Mmm," was all Sam could manage between clenched teeth. He cradled his left arm tightly against his body – not that doing so relieved the pain at all. In fact, that particular agony was now radiating into his chest and down that arm.

Yet another shriek split the air, sending their eardrums into spasms of pain and shivers of terror up their spines. The head – its long, black hair trailing behind it – whipped by them only a few feet away, passing briefly through the woefully inadequate beam of Dean's flashlight. They both jumped back involuntarily.

"God, I _hate_ when it does that!" Dean shouted irritably.

Sam couldn't resist and managed to get his jaw unclenched enough to say, "At least it wasn't a cat."

Dean glared at him.

Sam chuckled – or rather, he tried. It came out more like a cross between a groan and a squeak.

The Nukekubi screamed and hurtled itself at Dean so fast that he had no time to duck. It hit him squarely in the chest, knocking him ass over teakettle into a pile of stove wood. Sam winced, knowing from experience that that head butt felt like getting hit with a bowling ball.

As quick as the monster had come, it flew back again into the shadows.

"Dean!" Sam shouted, hurrying to where Dean was once again trying to pick himself up.

"Go find that body, Sam! I'll keep it busy!"

Sam started to protest – he didn't want his brother to have to fight it alone – but Dean waved him off. "Go!" he shouted, tossing the flashlight to Sam.

Sam looked around a bit to get his bearings and then homed in on one corner that the creature seemed to favor between hit–and-runs. Ducking another fly-by, Sam moved as quickly as his pain levels would allow, flicking the flashlight into any space that might be large enough to accommodate a human body; nothing. He heard the shotgun blast, another shriek, Dean yelling at it – the sounds of battle in their crazy, messed up world. It also let him know his brother was still ok.

He moved from corner to corner all the way around the barn, found nothing, and then faced the hayloft ladder again. Climbing up was a bit harder this time with only one good hand, but he managed. He quickly began shoving over stacks of dusty, half-rotted, forgotten bales of hay, searching for hidden spaces.

Suddenly, there was an enormous crash from below him, and then total silence. No shrieks, no Dean bellowing at the creature - nothing but his own breathing.

The quiet was eerie – and very wrong. Sam spun around and hurried to the ladder, not even taking the time to peek over the edge of the hayloft to see what was happening. He knew what was happening; Dean needed him. He knew it – felt it.

With his stomach twisted in knots, heart pounding, he jumped from the third rung, landed squarely on his feet, and almost went to the ground in pain from his jarred shoulder. Lights burst in his head and before his eyes. Fighting against the pain, he stumbled toward where the sound of the crash had come from – the big double doors.

He shone the flashlight back and forth rapidly, searching, probing the darkness, only half aware he should be keeping an eye out for the Nukekubi.

There! Dean was lying in a heap in front of one of the double doors beside a pile of old lumber and tangled fencing - not moving; unconscious.

"Dean!" Sam shouted, forgetting his own pain and running to his brother.

_Please be okay; please be okay, _he thought desperately.

As Sam grew close, he skidded to a stop at the sight before him. At first, Dean appeared to have two heads. But in the next instant, Sam realized the Nukekubi was feeding on him! The creature had its mouth firmly embedded against the side of Dean's throat, vampire style. The lower end of its neck – where it would normally be attached to its body - appeared to be covered with some sort of membrane. It was the color of blood and it pulsed and bulged grotesquely with each sucking motion of the mouth, growing as if it was expanding to hold the creature's meal. The skin on the creature's face was nearly transparent, bloated, and covered with deep red, spidery veins. For some reason, the image of a giant tick came to his mind.

Swallowing against the bile rising in his throat, Sam slowly lowered the flashlight to the ground. Grimacing against the pain in his left shoulder, he picked up a short piece of board with his good hand.

Holding the board for a one-handed swing, he crept up behind the creature, which was so focused on its meal that it didn't seem to notice Sam. He swung the board with all his might, landing a solid wallop to the disconnected head.

The blow merely knocked it loose from its grip on Dean's throat. It spun around to snarl at Sam with blood-stained lips curled back, exposing a mouth full of sharp teeth. With blood lust in the dull grey eyes, it flew straight at him!

Before he could get set with the board again, it hit him full force in the face, sending him staggering backward into a post. Blood gushed profusely from his nose, down his chin and dripped onto his shirt. His eyes refused to focus. His stomach felt like it was going to turn itself inside out. He leaned against the post for a moment, trying to clear his head.

Once again, the creature grew quiet. This time, however, Sam was close enough to hear a sickening suction sound. It had gone back to its meal, frantic, needy.

_It's going to drain him dry! _

Not if Sam could help it. Not Dean. Not his brother.

For the first time, Sam wished that the Nukekubi was a demon. For the first time in a long while, he _wanted_ to use his powers. Demons he knew how to deal with; but this – he couldn't find the body. He couldn't kill it unless he found the body. But if he quit fighting it off Dean long enough to go look, his brother would be dead when he got back.

_Unless_…

_Just maybe…_

His vision cleared a bit, he saw the vile beast at his brother's throat, and rage took over.

The next thing Sam knew, he had crossed the space between them, grabbed the Nukekubi by the hair, and flung it as far as he could. The head, shrieking in anger, turned in midair, and flew straight back at Sam.

This time, Sam was prepared. After throwing the head, he'd grabbed up another piece of lumber and took a protective stance over his brother. He didn't dare take his eyes off the thing to even glance to see if Dean was still alive.

As the Nukekubi hurled itself toward the threat to its meal, Sam managed to whack it hard enough to send it careening off into the dark. Then he took a step backward and shoved open one side of the barn door.

The first rays of dawn brightened the inky blackness of the old barn through the pale rectangle of faint light. The creature screamed hideously and Sam saw a black streak as the Nukekubi flew straight up through a hole in the roof and disappeared.

Sam stumbled back to his brother, dizzy, and fell to his knees. "Dean?"

Trying to focus against the throbbing that seemed to have taken over his entire body, Sam took stock of his brother's injuries. The left side of his throat was covered in blood that was still oozing from a circular pattern of puncture wounds. He felt for a pulse on the other side; weak, but steady. And a slight gurgling noise told him Dean was breathing. Sam managed to pull off his jacket, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a groan. He wadded it up and pressed it against the wound.

They couldn't stay here. He needed to find a place to hole up and patch both of them up. But how was he going to get Dean out of the barn?

_Maybe if I can get him over my good shoulder_…

He stood over Dean, grasped his brother's shirt and started to pull him into a sitting position.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Startled, Sam looked up to see a young woman standing in the doorway. He mentally kicked himself for being taken by surprise.

His brain automatically went into threat-assess mode. Right now, this girl could be their worst enemy or their best friend. She looked to be about his own age, petite, red hair pulled back in a pony tail, dressed in jeans, pink t-shirt, and muddy boots; no-nonsense attitude.

"He could have neck, back or internal injuries and you'll aggravate your shoulder injury," she said in a take-charge manner. She walked toward them, glancing once at Sam and then heading straight for Dean. Sam moved to block her path.

She stopped and looked up at him, directly in the eye. "I'm a doctor," she stated calmly. "Let me help you."

Her bright green eyes were full of fire – and cold steel; friend or foe? He didn't know, but - Sam took another look at Dean, and then stepped out of the way.

The girl knelt at Dean's side and quickly began checking for injuries. Her hands never seemed to stop moving.

Sam stood nearby and watched her closely. He cradled his injured arm against his side and started trying to think up answers for the inevitable questions – starting with "What happened?" However, the questions didn't come - which made him even more nervous.

"He's been shot." The girl snatched the wadded-up shirt from Dean's throat and pressed it against his left side under his ribcage.

Sam was startled. "What?" He knelt beside his brother's head. "Nononono - that's not possible. Are you sure it's not just a puncture wound? I mean, he fell…"

The girl lifted the jacket briefly so Sam could see the wound for himself.

"I know what a gunshot wound looks like!" she huffed. "We need to get him to a hospital - now."

"No!" Sam said, much more sharply than he intended. Emergency room doctors, gunshot wounds, and Winchesters – not a good combo. He took a deep breath to calm down and ran his hand through his hair. "Look… if you'll just help me get him into the car, I'll make sure he gets looked after. Please." He realized he was spitting blood as he spoke and that his nose was still bleeding badly. He wadded up the tail of his button-up shirt and pressed it gingerly against his nose. He tried to paste a smile on. "I appreciate your help, but there's no need for you to go to any trouble. I can handle it."

The girl looked at him for a long moment. Sam made a mental note never to play poker with this woman. Her face was absolutely expressionless. He had no idea what was going on inside her head.

"Keep pressure on that," she gestured at Dean. She suddenly stood, apparently having made a decision. "I'll take you to my place. It's just a couple of miles down the road. I'm going to pull my car up. It will be easier to get him into that than in yours. " She turned on her heel and disappeared through the door.

"Hey!" Sam called after her. "I don't even know your name."

She hesitated, but then said, "Kelly." She did not ask for his.

Sam did as he was told, closing his eyes for a moment against a wave of nausea and pain. He didn't know if this was the right thing to do or not – trusting a total stranger – but he really didn't know what else to do. Dean needed more help than he could offer - and he wasn't doing so hot himself.

Five minutes later, Dean was laying on a saddle blanket in the back of the girl's mint condition, red, 1972 El Camino. Sam sat with him, cradling his brother's head in his lap.

_Come on, Dean – I need you to be ok. Just hang on._

That Nukekubi had really done a number on him – and where the hell had that gunshot come from? Dean had only been using his shotgun with rock salt rounds, and Sam had found Dean's .45 still tucked behind his waistband, so there's no way he could've accidentally shot himself. Not that Dean would ever be that careless, anyway. And Sam had heard no gunfire report except the shotgun.

As they sped further into the backwoods, Sam heard Kelly's voice. He glanced over his shoulder through the rear window. She was on the phone.

_Crap_.

When the car pulled into the long dirt drive in front of a low, red brick building, Sam truly expected to be greeted by cops. Instead, she pulled the car around to a side door where a boy of about 10 and a young blonde woman stood waiting next to a gurney. He breathed a sigh of relief.

They managed to get Dean onto the gurney, rolling through the door, and down the long hallway. As Kelly and the boy guided the gurney, Sam followed behind, taking the opportunity to check out the place. His ears were assaulted by a cacophony of barking and whining, with an occasional meow thrown in. A few doors along the hall stood open revealing exam rooms, a lab, and a room stacked with cages – the source of the noise. Kelly said something to the blonde about getting back to work and she promptly disappeared into the kennel without a word.

"You're a vet?" Sam asked Kelly. "You said you were a doctor!"

She didn't bother to look at him. "I never said what kind. If you don't like it, you can go to the hospital," she said curtly.

Sam kept his mouth shut. _Relax – she's trying to help_.

Kelly had stopped in front of a locked door labeled "No Admittance". She pulled a key attached to a ribbon from around her neck to open it.

This was getting too weird. First, she shows up at dawn at an old barn in the middle of nowhere, claiming to be a doctor – and seems to know what she's doing. She asks no questions. She didn't protest at Sam's balking about a hospital. Now, she's leading them into a locked room at the back of a vet's office, with a key she apparently felt protective enough of to keep around her neck.

She opened the door to reveal a room that had apparently once been an exam room. The far wall was occupied by a long counter with drawers below and a small window above. Instead of the usual small metal exam table, there was a twin bed made up hospital style pushed against one wall. Two closed doors, a small refrigerator, and a decrepit looking recliner completed the room.

Kelly grabbed a towel out of a drawer, handed it to Sam and then waved at the chair. "Sit before you fall," she ordered.

Sam obeyed, settling in gingerly, holding the towel against his still-drippy nose and trying not to jiggle his arm too bad. He watched as Kelly and the boy slid his brother onto the bed and then went to work on him. Under the fluorescent lighting, Dean looked awfully pale – too pale.

After watching for a couple of minutes, Sam laid his head back against the chair. Whoever this woman was, she hadn't yet called the cops, and she apparently intended to take care of Dean – and that was all that mattered at the moment. He could feel the adrenaline drain from his system, leaving him utterly spent.

He must have dozed off for a moment, because he came to hearing a phone conversation. And the boy was gone.

"Hey, Martin! How's Lucy?"

Kelly had her cell phone cradled between her ear and the top of her shoulder and was hurriedly unwrapping some kind of tubing.

"Well, that's pretty normal," she continued on the phone. "You can give her a baby aspirin if she acts like it still hurts her."

She walked over to the refrigerator and removed a packet of blood. She glanced up at Sam as she continued her conversation.

"Listen, Martin – I need a favor. There's a black, older model Impala parked down at the old Munson place. If you could tow it up here for me, I'll count what you owe me for setting Lucy's leg paid. It'd be a huge favor!"

At the look of alarm on Sam's face, she held up a hand in a 'wait' gesture.

"Yeah, belongs to a friend of mine. Broke down on him." A pause. "Ok – I appreciate it! Thanks!"

She dropped the phone into a pocket in her jeans. "Martin's a good guy – he'll take good care of your car. And he isn't nosy."

She continued setting up for a blood transfusion. It finally registered in Sam's pain-fuzzy brain what she was doing, and he stood rather shakily and moved to the other side of the bed.

"Whoa. Hold up there – you don't even know his blood type! He's not some dog!"

Kelly sighed, but did not stop. "This is O negative blood. Mine, if you must know. It can be used for any blood type. I keep a small supply for emergencies."

She already had Dean's right arm in position and prepped. Without pause, she inserted the needle with practiced ease.

"Oh," Sam whispered. Now he'd offended their rescuer – again - and embarrassed himself in the process. "Sorry." If he'd stopped to think, he'd have remembered the little fact about the blood types.

"It's ok. You had a rough night. I understand."

Was that a crack in the rock-hard façade she was standing behind?

_She's not just a vet._

Once the blood was flowing, she went back to work on the gunshot wound. Sam leaned back against the wall and watched.

She'd definitely dealt with gunshot wounds before; she doing as good a job as any ER doc he'd watched.

_And that's a disturbing thought – that I've seen enough bullet wounds patched up to be able to compare the work._

Sam sighed. Suddenly, he felt about a hundred years old.

Kelly glanced up at him. "You really ought to sit down. You're not looking so good."

"I'm fine."

She still asked no questions.

Sam had plenty of his own, though.

About that time, the boy returned, carrying two large Ziploc bags full of ice.

The boy walked straight over to Sam and handed him one bag and a clean towel.

"For your nose and your shoulder," Kelly commented, not looking up from her work, "I'll work on them as soon as I get done here."

"Thanks," Sam mumbled, as Tommy helped him settle the second bag over his shoulder. Something about the boy seemed disturbingly familiar. He just couldn't say why. He knew he'd never seen him before.

A few minutes later, the room started to spin and he suddenly found Tommy doing his best to keep him from falling.

"Okay, I think you have to sit now," Kelly announced as she helped Tommy get him back over to the recliner. "Just stay right there, okay? Five more minutes and I'll be done with him."

Sam wasn't going anywhere. He leaned his head back against the recliner, still pressing the bag of ice against his face. He could feel Tommy holding the second one against his shoulder.

Just as Sam was thinking about how terribly thirsty he was, Tommy handed Sam a glass of water along with a couple of painkillers. The boy had yet to say a word. Neither had Sam heard Kelly speak to him. Not once.

_Weird_.

"Thanks," Sam said to the boy. He showed no reaction.

"He's deaf. If you speak to him, you need to be sure he's looking at you so he can read your lips," Kelly offered.

"Oh. Sorry." He was saying that a lot.

A few minutes later, Kelly had Dean's injuries cleaned, sutured and bandaged. An IV bag hung from a hook attached to the wall, and an oxygen tube snaked across his nose from a portable tank. She set up a second unit of blood.

"Well," she said as she covered Dean with a blanket, "I've done what I can for him at the moment. It's up to him now." She turned to Sam. "Your turn."

She started with the cut on his head, cleaning and stitching quickly. Then she examined his nose, probing gently – although painfully. Not willing to let her see just how much pain he was in, he decided it was time for a real conversation.

"Thanks for helping my brother and me."

She ignored the comment.

"It's broken. Hold still – this might hurt a bit."

She was right.

After massaging his nose back into some semblance of a normal shape, she taped it and moved on to his shoulder. Tommy handed her a heavy book he had retrieved from the small closet without being told. The way these two worked together had Sam wondering just how often they brought bleeding strangers in here. She had Sam hold his arm limply to his side and then placed the book in that hand.

He wasn't quite able to suppress a grunt of pain.

"Try to relax, Sam," she said gently as she began messaging his shoulder.

_Yeah, right – this is really gonna hurt! Need a distraction!_

"You haven't asked me what happened," Sam said through clenched teeth.

_Did she just call me by name?_

"Don't need to – you were hunting the Nukekubi."


	2. Chapter 2

Caught by surprise, Sam felt his jaw drop – and the girl shove his shoulder back into place.

Once the agony subsided and he could actually see straight again, Sam realized Kelly was still talking, and Tommy was placing his arm in a sling. "You need to keep that arm in the sling for a week or two. I'll give you some instructions on exercises you can do after that to strengthen your shoulder back up." She glanced outside. "Your car's here. You go in there," she gestured at the second closed door, "and get cleaned up. I'll have Tommy bring you some breakfast and whatever you need from your car. I have some four-legged patients waiting for me."

She turned and headed for the door with Tommy on her heels. Sam's head was spinning, partly from pain, but also with the knowledge that this girl knew they were hunters. What else did she know?

"Are you a hunter?" Sam blurted out.

_Ok – _so_ not what I wanted to ask._

With her hand on the knob, she paused, head bowed slightly. "Not anymore," she said softly, her voice full of sadness. Then she turned back to him. "Whatever you do – don't leave this room." And then she was gone.

******

Sam stared at the closed door. Not anymore? Don't leave the room? He needed more info. Something wasn't right here. Every instinct he had was starting to scream at him. He rose slowly and went to sit on the edge of Dean's bed. The color was coming back into his brother's face – he looked much better than when they had rolled him in here.

"Who shot you, Dude?" Sam whispered, as he tucked an edge of the blanket around his brother a bit more tightly.

Dean was breathing easily and looked like he was simply sleeping. Sam sighed with relief and decided maybe this _would_ be a good time to clean up. His face, neck and shirt were covered in blood. He opened the door the girl had gestured at to find a bathroom complete with shower.

He hesitated, not wanting to let Dean out of his sight. He didn't want his brother to wake up alone. In the end, he left the bathroom door open.

He was gently washing the blood from his face at the sink when Tommy reappeared, staggering under the weight of Sam's backpack, Dean's duffel, and a small paper sack. He let the bags drop to the floor next to the counter in the room and placed the sack on top of the counter. He then proceeded to rummage around in Sam's pack and then carried a complete set of clothing over to him.

Sam took them from the boy, curious that he had picked out his favorite shirt and jeans. Coincidence? He knew they had been near the bottom of his backpack. Something about this kid was bugging the crap out of him.

The boy made no move to leave. He simple stood, staring at the floor, nervously shifting from foot to foot.

After awhile, when the kid seemed no closer to revealing what was bothering him, Sam touched Tommy's shoulder gently and waited until he looked up at him.

"What is it? Is there something you want to tell me?"

The kid actually looked like he was going to cry. There was an odd mix of fear, sorrow, and anger in his eyes. He suddenly turned and bolted for the door. Just as he started to open it, he stopped and turned back toward Sam.

"_It's not safe for you here." _The boy jerked the door open and was gone.

Sam stood there in shock.

He had heard the boy clearly. _In his head._ Tommy's mouth had not moved.

_Who are these people?_

********

After a quick shower, Sam struggled to get his arm back into the sling and then awkwardly scooted the recliner closer to Dean's bed so he could watch him better. The small sack turned out to hold two scrambled egg sandwiches. He only managed to eat one.

He glanced up at the wall clock. 10 am. He was so tired. _Just a few minutes. I'll rest for just a few minutes._ _Have to stay sharp and alert for danger._

*******

"Sam?"

Sam woke with a start and jerked upright, only to be overcome with stabbing pain in both his injured shoulder and his head. He fell back against the recliner.

"Take it easy! It's ok." Kelly was speaking in hushed tones.

"How's Dean?" He glanced over at his brother, angry with himself that he hadn't heard Kelly come in.

"He's ok. He's stable. He should wake up soon. That Nukey just about killed him. Had to give him a 3rd unit of blood - wiped out my supply." She started rearranging Dean's blankets and checking the various tubes she had connected to him.

"What about the gunshot wound?"

"I don't think the bullet didn't hit anything major. If we can prevent infection, and keep him still for a few days, he'll be fine."

He looked up at the clock. 3 pm. He cursed himself mentally for sleeping.

Sam sighed; time to get answers. "How do you know my name?"

She stopped fussing with things and straightened up. She stared out the window for a moment, as if trying to decide what to say.

"I have a confession to make," she said softly. "I didn't just happen by this morning. I was looking for you. I knew you were going to be there. I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner. I had a mare I had to caesarian or I would have been there to help."

Sam's eyebrows went up. "But how… "

"Who do you think told Bobby about the Nukey?"

"You know Bobby Singer?"

_Dumb question_.

She actually smiled. "Most of my life. He told me you were the ones that would be coming."

Now he was thoroughly confused. Why would Tommy warn him about danger if they were among friends? Why hadn't Bobby mentioned Kelly?

"So, Tommy…" He hesitated. Maybe he shouldn't mention that Tommy had spoken to him…well, telepathically for lack of a better word.

Fortunately, he didn't have to shift gears. She guessed his question wrong.

"He's my brother. I have another brother around here too, but he's not nearly as easy to get along with!" She laughed nervously. "Well, I need to go finish up some things. I'll be back in a bit to check on you. And we need to talk about how we're going to finish up this hunt. That thing is still out there." She was quiet a moment, looking at him as if sizing him up; as if she were trying to come to some decision about him.

"Again, sorry I didn't get there sooner." That poker face façade was back. Sam would swear there were two different Kellys here.

"It's not your fault. Don't worry about it." He wanted – needed - to know so much more, but she was clearly done talking for the moment.

*******

"Sam?"

The familiar, gravelly voice was music to Sam's ears.

"Hey, Dean," he said gently, as he leaned over him and put a hand on his shoulder, "How you feelin'?"

"Water?" Dean whispered.

"Oh, sure!" Sam grabbed a cup of water, dropped in the straw Tommy had left in the paper sack earlier, and then held it for Dean to drink.

Dean eyeballed Sam's face over the cup. Sam smiled to himself; ever the protective big brother. And Sam had to admit, right now he looked terrible. His nose, cheeks, eyes and part of his forehead were red and swollen. He had deep purple bruises around both eyes, and a split lip. A wide strip of white tape adorned the bridge of his nose.

"You look like you chased a parked car." Dean said as he finished. He sounded a bit stronger now.

Sam grinned at him. "Kinda what it felt like."

"What happened back there?"

"What do you remember?"

"Being a human bowling pin."

"Do you remember how you got shot?"

"Shot! I was shot?" Dean looked down at himself, trying to sit up, looking for the wound. Didn't take him long to find it. He couldn't suppress a groan as he fell back.

Sam put a hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy, dude! On top of that, the Nukey sucked enough out of you that you had to have 3 units of blood put back in. Just rest, okay?"

Dean laid there with his eyes closed. "So, where are we?"

"Um…"

"Spit it out, Sammy."

"An animal hospital. But don't worry. They're friends. I think."

"You _think_? An animal hospital? What kind of blood did they _give_ me, Sam?"

Sam sighed, and then went over the events from the moment he'd heard the crash in the barn until Dean woke up. He also mentioned the uneasy feelings he'd had, even though they were apparently unfounded. The only thing he left out was Tommy speaking to him telepathically. He was beginning to think that had just been the workings of his exhausted brain at the time.

He had just finished his story and Dean was beginning to drift off again, when Sam heard angry voices outside. Going to look out the small window over the counter, he saw Kelly standing beside the Impala, which was parked next to a barn about 30 yards from where he stood. There seemed to be some disagreement going on between her and a tall young man. Early twenties, dark hair, otherwise appeared to be a male version of Kelly.

_Must be the other brother_.

Sam couldn't quite make out the words, just the sound of shouting. And they were both gesturing wildly. As Sam watched their body language and gesturing, two things became clear. One, the bulk of the discussion had to do with him and Dean. And two, Kelly was giving her brother a royal dressing down. After another 10 minutes, Kelly turned and stalked off toward the vet building, leaving her brother fuming and muttering.

Alarm bells were going off in Sam's gut again. Something here was definitely not right.

Sam turned from the window and was startled to find Tommy standing behind him.

Before he could react to the boy's presence, he spoke to him again.

"_Please don't tell my brother I talked to you." _

Okay, so he _hadn't_ imagined that the kid had used telepathy on him earlier. He was doing it again. The words were shrouded in fear and desperation; the same emotions were reflected on Tommy's face.

"_He doesn't know I can do this. He'd kill me if he found out I'm a... a freak." _Tommy's eyes grew larger and he ducked his head, as if he'd said something wrong. The fear emanating from the kid changed from fear of being found out to fear – of Sam?

Sam had no idea why the kid should be afraid of him, unless… no way. Not possible. He shrugged off the thought.

"_Listen, Tommy, I'm not gonna tell your brother, okay? And you don't need to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you. "_He thought the words, rather than spoke them, as much to test the kid's abilities as to comfort the boy.

Tommy looked back up at him, relief washing away the fear. _So he can hear thoughts, too. That explains how he and Kelly work so well together._

Tommy simply nodded and turned to go.

"_Wait! I need to ask you something!"_

"_Not now – my sister is coming. I'm not supposed to be in here unless I have orders from her."_

At the door, Tommy threw another thought at him. This one had a note of joy in it. "_Thanks! I knew you'd understand since you're different like me!"_

******

Sam was pacing the floor nervously an hour later when Dean woke up again.

Sam helped him with another cup of water.

"How you doin'?"

"I've had better days," Dean growled. He struggled to sit up against is pillows and Sam, with only one good arm, could offer only limited help.

"You feel like getting out of here?"

_Crap. That sounded desperate. _

Dean looked up at him curiously.

_Of course, he would notice._

"What's wrong?"

Sam sighed. "Not sure. It's just – I've got a bad feeling about this. Something's not right. I just … let's just get out, okay?"

Dean was far from being healthy enough to travel, Sam knew that. But somehow, he was afraid if they didn't leave this place, they would end up in far worse shape.

_Please, Dean, just trust me for once._

Dean looked at him with that head-slightly-cocked, probing-to-the-depths-of-your-soul gaze of his for a long moment.

"Okay, Sammy," he finally said softly. "Help me up and we'll hit the road."

Relief washed over him – too soon. The door opened and Kelly walked in, followed by the man she'd been arguing with.

"Oh, good! You're awake!" She went over and touched Dean's forehead with the back of her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," Dean said cautiously, backing away from her just a bit.

Kelly straightened up. "I wanted you to meet my brothers." She pulled Tommy around in front of her. "This is Tommy, and…."

Before she could finish the introduction, he stepped up and offered Dean his hand. "So, this is the great Dean Winchester; the man who conquered Hell."

_Does _everyone_ know about that?_

The words were friendly, belying the sardonic grin and cold eyes. "I'm Tony. Tony Wandell. Nice to finally meet you."

_Wandell. Oh. My. God. _

Sam felt realization hit him like a shock wave. His knees suddenly felt weak.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve Wandell. The man he had murdered when he'd been possessed. This had to be his family. That's why Tommy looked so familiar. He looked like a young version of his father. And that was a face that would be etched in Sam's memory forever.

But, did _they_ know he was the one who had killed him?

_Get a grip – how could they_?

No one had seemed to even notice Sam standing there, and now he was glad for that fact. He knew his shock and terror was probably written all over his face.

He had to give Dean credit, though. Even in his current condition, he was quick on his feet mentally. Sam had seen a flicker of recognition in his brother's eyes, but only someone who knew him well would have noticed it.

Sam could also see Dean weighing options. Does he sidestep the hell issue or the murder issue?

_No contest there. Not with Dean._

"Wandell? I've heard that name," Dean said, feigning thoughtfulness. "That's it – Steve Wandell – any relation?"

That hellish grin seemed plastered to Tony's face. But his eyes grew sharper. "He was our father."

"I heard about what happened to him. Damn shame. I never met the man, but I knew of his reputation; a good guy."

"Yes, he was."

Sam realized Tony was now staring at him, his eyes like twin beams of cold green light piercing completely through him.

_Could they know? But, if so, why take us in – patch us up?_

"We're sorry for your loss. I understand how hard…"

"Ah, that's right - you boys lost your dad awhile back, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

An awkward silence fell over the room for a moment, with Tony staring at Sam.

Kelly cleared her throat. "So, how are we going to finish off that pesky Nukekubi?"

Tony turned on his sister. "I told you. I don't hunt anymore. And I didn't think you did, either."

Kelly glared back at him. "This one is in our own backyard! We can't ignore it. But since you don't seem interested, you can stay here with Tommy tonight. Sam and I will handle it."

Kelly was pulling rank on her younger brother. Sam recognized the attitude.

"Great. My favorite pastime – watching the little retard."

"Tony!"

Tony was officially on Sam's crap list now.

Tony shot Sam a look as he turned back to Dean. "Well, nice to meet you. I've got horses to tend to. Enjoy your stay." That last comment was followed by a soft chuckle as Tony left the room.

"So," Kelly said breezily, as if her brother's abrasiveness was an everyday thing for her, "how are we going to fix our little Nukey problem?"

*******

10 minutes of talking about the Nukekubi and fussing over Dean later, Kelly finally left the brothers alone. Sam had been hard pressed to keep his attention on the discussion. All he could think about was getting out – getting away. Steve Wandell's death was one chapter of his life he would do anything in his power to change. It had taken him a very long time to move past it – to bury the massive amount of guilt he carried over it. And he was realizing now, that he never had moved past it. Not really. Like Dean had told him numerous times, he knew that he wasn't really the one who murdered Wandell, but he couldn't get past the fact that it was his hands that carried out the act. If he had only been more aware – more on guard – more…something. He should have been able to keep himself from being possessed. So, it _was_ his fault.

And now he and Dean were being cared for by his victim's daughter. And there was nothing he could do to set things right.

"Sam?"

Sam was so lost in thought that he didn't hear Dean the first time.

"Sam! Snap out of it."

"What?" Sam turned away from the window.

"So much for a simple hunt, eh?" Sam knew his brother was trying to ease the tension, but it wasn't working.

"Right." Sam collapsed back into the recliner. "Do you think they know?" He spoke barely above a whisper.

"You think if they did – at least if Tony did – we'd still be in one piece? There's no way."

Sam shook his head. "Bobby knows. And Kelly said she's known him most of her life. Why would he send us here knowing that I'd killed her father?"

"What? You can't think…Sam, Bobby would never do anything to hurt us, you know that. And he'd never tell anyone about that. You've got to let this go, man."

Sam sighed, letting his head rest against the back of the chair. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I'm just… it's just…I mean, if they really don't know, then who shot you?"

Dean's browed furrowed, but then he brightened. "Hunters. It's deer season, right? And it happened about dawn, right? Well, there you go. Mystery solved."

_A stray bullet. Through a barn. Right._

Sam just rolled his head to the side and stared at his brother.

"What? It could happen."

Sam kept staring.

Dean sighed, leaned back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. "Yeah, you're right. It's bullshit. Look, Sammy. Let's just get through tonight – finish off the Nukawhatever, and then we're out of here. We owe Kelly that much. All right?"

_I owe her a lot more than that_.

"Okay."

Silence drifted between them for a few minutes.

"Sam? If they know about you – then why would they shoot _me?_"

_Good point_.

"Then who did?" _I'm going crazy here_.

Dean scrubbed his face with a hand. "You know what Sam? Right now, I really don't care." He shifted in the bed to a more comfortable position. "Get some rest. It's gonna be a long night."

"Dean?"

"Yeah," Dean answered irritably.

Sam hesitated. Maybe he shouldn't mention it. Dean was tired. "Never mind."

Dean sighed deeply and then struggled back to a sitting position, gritting his teeth against the pain in his side.

He held out his hand and wiggled his fingers in a 'come hither' motion. "Ok, Sam. Let's have it."

"Tommy has abilities."

*****

Sundown found Sam pacing the floor, keeping an eye on Dean, who had pushed himself up into a sitting position on the side of the bed, and removed his IV.

"Dean, you're not going. You nearly died less than 15 hours ago!"

"And you're in so much better shape! Toss my bag over here."

Sam glared at his brother.

"Look – I don't have fever, I'm not dizzy, I feel – ok, well, I feel like crap. But I can at least drive. You're not going after that thing alone with a bum wing."

Sam shook his head. "I won't be alone, Dean -Kelly's going. You know that."

"Right," Dean snorted. "Give me the bag, Sam, I'm going. End of discussion. Besides, it'll make for a quicker get away afterward. I thought you wanted away from here."

_That's true – just have to keep an eye on him._

"Fine." Sam dropped the bag on the bed.

When Dean headed for the bathroom to clean up and get dressed, Sam immediately put a hand on his elbow to steady him, but Dean shrugged him off.

"Relax, Sammy, you look like you're waiting for your executioner."

Dean shut the door in his face.

Sam ran his good hand through his hair. Dean was right. He was a nervous wreck. There was something going on here that he couldn't see. And it was driving him crazy. And his head hurt. His shoulder hurt. His face hurt. He was tired.

And he was carrying a fresh load of guilt that felt like a mountain pressing down on him.

_Maybe I should just come clean with Kelly – tell her what happened. Maybe she'll kill me for killing her dad. At least then it'd be over. No more worrying about my powers or figuring out what's right or wrong, or…_

And then Dean would be alone to fight the apocalypse. _Yeah - and _that's_ such a good idea_.

Sam glanced over at the bathroom door. Dean had him seriously worried. It seemed each day that went by his brother was coming a little more unraveled – moving a little closer to the ragged edge of existence. On some days, Sam watched him struggle just to keep it together long enough to get the job done and get back to drowning himself in booze. Sam couldn't seem to stop his headlong plunge into despair.

Another stab of guilt. How could he even _think_ of letting Dean deal with all this by himself?

Sam walked over to his backpack, set it on the counter, and started zipping it up. He heard an odd noise outside the window, glanced up and was so startled he jerked back a bit. A floodlight at the corner of the barn provided enough light for Sam to see a figure standing just outside the window.

Tommy. That kid was getting downright creepy. Sam took a deep breath to calm himself. The boy looked terrified.

"_What is it, Tommy? What's wrong?"_

"_I know what you did."_

Sam's heart skipped a couple of beats.

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You killed my dad."_

Sam couldn't meet the boy's eyes through the window.

"_I'm sorry."_

"_It's ok. It was a demon, not you. It wasn't your fault."_

Sam looked up then. His chest tightened in a swirl of emotions. Tommy knew? How? The kid was forgiving him? Who else knew? Why was Tommy frightened?

"_Does Kelly know?"_

"_Don't know. Don't think so. And I won't tell her. Or Tony."_

"_How did you know?"_

It was Tommy's turn to look away. _"It was in your mind just now – when I came to the window. I can only hear minds when I'm close by._"

"_What else did you hear?"_

"_Please don't go on this hunt. Please just leave. Please take me with you."_

_Please take me with you?_ That set Sam back on his heels.

"_Why?"_

Tommy glanced over his shoulder before facing Sam again. _"Tony's gonna kill me. He's gonna find out about what I can do, and then he will kill me 'cuz I'm a freak – a monster like Dad used to hunt."_

"_Tommy, you're not a monster! You're a good kid with a unique ability that you can use for good. Besides, he's your brother. He's not gonna kill you."_

"_You don't know him. He's not like your brother. Dean loves you no matter what. I know he does. I heard him thinking about you. Tony doesn't love anybody. And he's planning something. Something bad. I just can't figure out what it is. Kelly won't listen to me, but I heard him thinking. Not very much – not enough to know what he's gonna do, but..."_

"_Kelly's not going to let him hurt you."_

"_No, Sam! You don't understand!" _Tommy was sounding desperate_. "He's planning …"_

Tommy suddenly dropped from sight just as Tony walked around the corner of the barn. Apparently unaware of his little brother, he went inside and closed the door. But Tommy did not reappear.

"_Tommy_?"

No answer.

"Hey."

Sam jumped for the second time in the last few minutes as Dean spoke right behind him.

"Guilty conscience?" Dean smirked at him, glancing out the window to see what Sam had been looking at.

Sam grabbed Dean's arm and steered him away from the window.

"Tommy thinks Tony is up to something. He …"

The door opened and Kelly came in, carrying a backpack and dressed in black jeans, with a black t-shirt under a black denim jacket. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and covered with a ball cap – also black.

Dean appraised her with an eyebrow raised. "Swat Teams-R-Us have a sale?"

"You should be in bed! Sam, let's go. It's nearly full dark and I have a lead on where the Nukekubi might keep its body hidden."

Sam grabbed his backpack and swung it over his shoulder, then started to reach for Dean's duffel bag.

"I got it." Dean carefully swung it over his right shoulder, holding his left arm against his damaged side. Sam saw his brother's jaw clench and a flash of pain cross his face.

"You're not going, Dean!" Kelly said vehemently. "You've just been _shot_."

Dean was suddenly looking a bit pale, but he grinned at her. "You don't know me very well, sweetheart. I _am_ going. Come on." With that, he pushed past her and walked out.

Sam thought he saw what could be panic cross Kelly's face, but then that iron mask slammed into place again. She glared at Dean's back, but said nothing and followed him out.

Sam glanced back at the window before following the others.

_Take care of yourself, Tommy_.

******

"What were you saying about Tommy back there?"

Dean was herding the Impala behind Kelly's El Camino down a dirt road not far from her place. Fortunately for their stiff and sore bodies, Kelly was driving slowly down the potholed path. Apparently, she loved her car just as much as Dean did his.

"He said he thought Tony was planning something bad – and he wanted us to take him with us when we leave. The kid's terrified of his brother."

"Well, I can't say Tony impressed me as a candidate for Brother of the Year, but… I mean, kids exaggerate, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. But he was really scared."

"So what's Tony supposed to planning?"

"He didn't say. I don't think he knew. I have to say though, this whole thing – it just…"

"…feels wrong. I know, Sammy, you said that before."

Sam glanced over at Dean. The irritation in his voice was a tone he recognized as pain-induced. Even in the dim backwash of the headlights, he could see Dean was pasty white and sweaty.

"You okay?"

"Fine – we're here."

Kelly had pulled off the path in front of an abandoned chicken house. If Sam's sense of direction was right, this was the back side of the same property that the old barn from the night before was located.

Sam was out of the car and reaching for his weapons duffel when Kelly came up.

"My source said that he saw a black streak go into a window of the chicken house about dawn this morning."

"You really think it would use the same hiding place after last night?"

"I don't know," she snapped. "If you've got a better idea, you let me know. It's the only lead I have at the moment. Our only other option is try to figure out who it is during the day."

Sam winced as he awkwardly cocked his Glock, holding it with his left hand and operating the slide with his right. "All right, we start here."

Sam flicked on his flashlight and bent down to look at Dean through the window. He hadn't even attempted to get out of the car.

Dean was checking his gun. Sweat beaded his forehead and was breathing hard.

"Listen – that building isn't the best place to be with fresh wounds. You can cover nearly the whole outside of it from here. You stay here, and I'll go inside with Kelly, all right?"

Dean shot him a glare, but then closed his eyes for a few seconds, stifling a groan. When he opened them again he just looked tired.

"All right, but you be careful. Don't make me come drag your ass out of there."

_Shouldn't have let him come. _

Sam glanced back as he and Kelly entered the building. Dean was resting his head against the headrest.

_Good - maybe he'll sleep_.


	4. Chapter 4

The chicken house might have been abandoned long before, but it still smelled like…well, chicken. Chicken manure, to be precise. It appeared that, at some point, somebody had started to dismantle the cages, stacking them in floor-to-ceiling piles along both sides of the building. Several of the piles had fallen, or been knocked, over, scattering rusty, wire cages across the filth-and-feather-encrusted floor.

_Never eating chicken again._

Kelly and Sam went down opposite sides, checking out every possible cubbyhole that might hide a human body. About half way down the long, rectangular building, Kelly suddenly cried out.

"Found it!"

There, behind a jumbled stack of cages and crates was the headless body of a woman, dressed in a gray business suit and lying on a quilt spread neatly on the dirty floor. The neatly manicured hands rested across the stomach. The top of the neck was covered in a membrane similar to the one he'd seen on the head. Except that this one was only moving only slightly – like a pulse.

"Huh."

Kelly looked up at him, "What'd you expect?"

"I don't know – it just doesn't jive with the face I saw."

"The head changes into its true form while hunting prey."

_I knew that_.

"Right. Guess we'd better get finished here."

They had agreed earlier to destroy the body, rather than hide it, to be sure the Nukekubi died. As the body could be killed any way that a human could, they chose a gunshot to the heart. Kelly had a noise suppressor on her handgun, so that was the weapon of choice.

Quick and quiet.

Just as Kelly pulled her pistol out of the holster on her hip and started screwing on the suppressor, the Nukekubi's head flew silently from out of the darkness behind a nearby crate! It had used its own body as bait.

Kelly looked up and froze in shock.

With its black hair trailing behind, its translucent skin nearly white in the pale light of the flashlight, it hurtled straight toward its biggest threat – Kelly. The creature bared its teeth and aimed for her throat.

Acting purely on instinct, Sam lunged in front of Kelly just in time to take the full force of the Nukey's charge on his bad shoulder. The impact from the insanely powerful head knocked him backward into Kelly and sent them both into a pile of cages.

It took Sam a few seconds to realize that the scream he was hearing was his. Blinding pain ripped through his injured shoulder, chest and arm. For several seconds, he couldn't think, couldn't see, couldn't do anything but curl up in a ball. He did manage to stop screaming, but he couldn't suppress a few groans.

"Sam! It's coming back!"

He managed to get his eyes open and realized that Kelly was tangled up in the cages. The impact had knocked his pistol out of his hand and it now lay on the ground a dozen feet away. Ignoring the pain and forcing his body to move, he lunged for the weapon, but was brought up short by a hard blow on the back accompanied by an ear-splitting shriek from the Nukey.

_Ok. Enough of this crap_!

Anger welled up and Sam struggled to his feet, gasping for air, looking around for the head.

"Kelly…finish… the job!" He yelled between breathes. He was vaguely aware of the girl untangling herself and crawling to her feet.

It was coming back. He sensed it more than saw it. Sudden inspiration hit.

The Nukey screeched and streaked toward Sam from the far corner of the building. Sam grabbed up one of the three-foot-square cages with his good hand, and swung it up just in time for the head to fly through the open door and smash both itself and the cage into Sam's chest. Unable to stop the impact, but better prepared, Sam managed to maintain his grip on the cage as he fell onto his back on the ground. He immediately rolled up onto his knees, flipped the cage door side down and threw his weight on top of it.

The Nukekubi threw itself from side to side, forcefully enough to almost jerk it out from under Sam – almost. When it failed to do that, it tried to attack Sam through the cage. It sunk its teeth around the mesh wire, through his jacket and into his arm.

"AAHHH! Kelly! Hurry up!"

There was a sharp spitting sound, the Nukekubi screamed, and then it fell to the cage bottom. It rolled around a bit and then grew still.

It was dead.

Sam laid his head down on the cage and closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. He was having difficulty drawing in a full breathe against the agony raging through his body. He discovered he was shaking. But it was over.

"Get up, Winchester."

_Or not_.

Sam struggled to his feet, swaying a bit, trying not to groan. The sling on his left arm had been ripped off at some point and the Nukey's bite had left a ring of bloody puncture wounds on that arm.

Kelly was pointing the pistol at him.

"Over there." Kelly nodded toward the body on the quilt, her face as still and cold as stone.

"Kelly – please. I…"

She put a bullet in the floor mere inches from his feet.

"Shut up and move."

Sam started moving – slowly, trying to think his way out of his predicament.

_If I can get close enough to her…_

"You starting the party without me, Sis?"

Kelly's face flickered with irritation. "This isn't the plan. You've already screwed this up once. I told you…"

_What? Tony shot Dean! While trying to kill me_.

"Plan's changed." Tony appeared in the circle of light provided by the flashlight lying on the floor. He pushed Tommy ahead of him. The boy's hands were tied in front of his body.

Kelly's cold gray eyes flickered from Sam to Tommy and then back.

"Tommy? Tony, what are you doing? Why is he tied up?"

Sam stood stock still. Tommy had his eyes fastened on Sam's. Tears streaked the boy's face. His eyes were filled with terror – and pleading with Sam for help.

Tony shoved the boy toward Sam. Tommy stumbled and Sam caught his arm, and then pushed the boy behind him, shielding him.

Tony pointed his own pistol at Sam and Tommy. "He's one of them! One of the freaks!"

_So this about…that. Not their dad. Crap_.

Kelly's gun wavered – but she shifted it only to move it away from Tommy and line it up with Sam's head.

"Tony…"

"He talked to me, Kelly. In my _head_! The little freak _forced_ his thoughts into my head! Tried to talk me out of ganking this monster." Tony pulled the hammer back on his revolver. "He's one of _them_. We have to put him down, too."

Sam's heart pounded in his ears. This 10-year-old kid had figured out what was going on and put his own life on the line to try and save Sam – in spite of what Sam had done to his father. Sam shifted to the side a bit, trying to put himself more between Tony's pistol and the boy. Sam felt Tommy grab a double fistful of the back of his jacket. The kid was shaking.

_This is his nightmare come true – and he put himself into it for me._

"_I'm sorry, Sam. I'm sorry. I tried to stop them."_

"_It's okay. You did good." _

"_I'm scared."_

"_Me, too. Stay behind me -It'll be okay."_

Kelly was wavering. Sam could see it in her eyes.

"Kelly, listen to me…"

"Shut up, Sam!"

"What are we waiting for, Kelly? You know we have to do it."

The sound of a shotgun shell being chambered rang out from the darkness behind Kelly and Tony.

"You don't want to do that."

_Dean! Thank God_.

"Stay out of it, Dean. If you were half the man your reputation says you are, you would have done this a long time ago."

Dean walked into the light, shotgun trained on Tony. Tony shifted his revolver from Sam to Dean and back again. Kelly kept her gun on Sam, but the she was starting to crack.

"Look at yourselves," Dean said quietly, calmly. "You're ready to kill your own kid brother. This isn't hunting. This is murder."

Tony barked a short, hard laugh. "You're just ignoring the truth. It's our job to stop freaks like them before they bring the world to an end!"

Sam saw Dean wince at that.

_If they only knew_.

Tony took a step toward Sam, but continued to address Dean. "Put the gun down, now - or he dies slow."

Dean didn't waver. "Then you'll be next."

Kelly swung her gun over to point it at Dean. "Put it down, Dean." Something in her voice had changed. The hard edge in it was gone. She was begging, not demanding.

Dean glanced at her. Sam could see he was making the same conclusions about her that he had.

"All right, take it easy!" Dean slowly lowered the shotgun to the ground.

Tony stepped over and kicked the gun away. "Now, get over there where I can see you. And don't try anything or you'll end up just as dead as they're going to be." He stepped back so that his and Kelly's guns formed two corners of a triangle, with Sam and Tommy at the third. Dean was in the center of the group.

_If you're going to shoot – shoot. Don't talk. _

_Where'd that come from? Right. Bobby said it once._

Hope began to grow in Sam, tentative and fragile. Kelly and Tony had hesitated. And the longer they waited, the harder it was going to be for them to pull the trigger - for Kelly, anyway. Tommy's presence seemed to be forcing her to reconsider; or at least, making her hesitate long enough that maybe Dean could talk her down. And for all Tony's bluster, he still seemed willing to let his older sister take the lead.

Dean was near enough now that Sam could see how close he was to collapsing onto the floor. He held his hands away from his sides in a gesture of surrender – and they were trembling. A dark stain was spreading across the side of his shirt under his jacket. The gunshot wound was bleeding again. He was standing with his feet apart as if trying to keep his balance.

_Lifting that damn duffel bag must have torn something loose._

Sam's heart rate kicked up another notch.

"Kelly," Dean said, "Think about this. Our brothers – they're different. That's true. They have abilities that we don't understand. And we're terrified at what might be coming down the road at them. But monsters? I don't think so. Sam has put his life on the line for me too many times to count…"

Sam saw Kelly's face soften.

_I just saved her life a few minutes ago – and she knows it_.

" …and I think Tommy just proved he's willing to risk his own life to keep you from doing something you'll regret for the rest of your life."

Tommy peeked cautiously out from behind Sam at his sister.

"Look at them! Forget what you _think_ you know and _look_ at them, Kelly. Go with your heart – you know Tommy's not evil – just like I know Sam's not, either."

_Does he mean that?_

Kelly looked at Tommy and made her choice. She lowered her gun.

"Damn it, Kelly!"

Kelly turned on Tony. "Stop. We're not doing this. He's right. They're people. They're family. We don't kill our own kind."

"So, what – you're just gonna let them walk out of here because your mothering instincts have kicked in? They're _monsters_, Kelly! We have to do this."

"Sam saved my life, Tony."

"Oh, right. Like that changes the basics. He's still a freak – he's still a danger to us – to the entire world! So's the retard. Putting them down is what Dad would have done."

_Putting them down – we're not animals!_

"No - it isn't. Put the gun down. "

Tony pulled himself up a bit and squared his shoulders. His face set in grim determination.

"Fine. I'll handle it." He steadied the pistol with both hands.

"Tony! No!"

The next few seconds were a blur for Sam. He saw Tony's intent and spun around, intent on shoving Tommy to the floor. Before he was even half turned, a gunshot sounded, followed by another, muffled one, and then he was on the ground, huddled over the boy.

Silence.

"_Tommy, are you okay?"_

"_Yeah_."

Sam took a quick inventory of his own hurts and discovered nothing new. He glanced over his shoulder, taking in the scene around him. Tony lay sprawled on the ground, arms flung wide. Vacant eyes stared up at the ceiling. A bloody hole adorned the center of his forehead.

Kelly cried out in a choking sob, as she fell to the ground beside Tony.

Dean was on his knees, clutching his injured side.

The brothers' eyes met, each silently asking the other if they were okay. In one quick motion, Dean nodded and then tilted his head toward Kelly.

"_Tommy, stay here_." He gave the boy what he hoped was a reassuring pat on the back, and then awkwardly crawled the few feet over to Kelly. Sam wasn't sure what to do.

_How do you comfort someone who just killed own brother to protect you?_

"Why?" she screamed, hugging herself and rocking back and forth on her knees. "Why did you make me do this? Why wouldn't you listen to me?"

Sam reached out and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Kelly?"

She pulled her shoulder away from him and then buried her face against her dead brother's chest.

Sam heard movement beside him and glanced up to see Tommy standing there, staring wide-eyed at Tony's face. Sam pulled out the small silver knife he always carried and cut the boy's hands loose. The instant he was free, Tommy wrapped both arms around Sam's neck and collapsed against him, sobbing. Sam held him close with his good arm.

"_It's okay. It's over_."

This was not a freak of nature, this was a little boy who had been orphaned and traumatized beyond what any child should have to endure. And much of it could be blamed on Sam. And yet, it was to him the boy turned for comfort; for him that the boy had nearly given his life – all because he was '_different like me'_. The enormity of it made Sam's heart twist on itself and he found he couldn't keep the tears at bay.

"_I'm sorry, Tommy_. I'm so sorry."

******

After that initial outburst, Kelly pulled herself together and took charge of the situation.

With Kelly's help, Sam was able to bundle up the Nukekubi into the quilt, carry it out and hide it in the trunk of the Impala - for later burial - before the police were called. Then Kelly helped Dean back to the car. The fact that he _let_ her help was evidence of just how done-in he was. She insisted that the brothers go back to her office and wait there.

"What are you going to tell the police?" Dean asked.

Kelly wouldn't meet his eyes. "The truth; Tony went crazy, tried to kill Tommy, and I had to stop him." She turned away before any more questions could be asked.

******

Kelly rejoined them by midnight.

She had been assured by the local sheriff – whose K-9 service dog's life she had saved not long before – that the investigation into her brother's death would show "a simple case of self-defense - tragic, but unavoidable."

She spent the next few hours tending to the brothers - in her house, this time, instead of the office. Dean's gunshot wound had required minor surgical repair under a local anesthetic, after which she'd ordered him to bed in her guest room.

Sam's shoulder had been dislocated again. This time, after setting it, she bound his arm to his torso with strict orders to keep it that way for the next few days, and then to keep it in a sling for another 2 weeks. The Nukekubi's bite had to be disinfected and bandaged. They both received tetanus and antibiotic shots.

She gave so many verbal instructions about how to care for their various wounds – all given as she worked– that Sam finally realized she was mainly talking to keep her mind off what had happened. Whenever she stopped, she would tear up.

When she ran out of instructions to give, she started talking about Tommy. How their mother had died in childbirth. How he'd lost his hearing to meningitis at the age of two. How he'd refused to come out of his room for days after they'd heard of their father's death – and how, when he did, his telepathic abilities were in full force.

Tommy hovered nearby the entire time, never more than a few feet from Sam – silent, pale, overwhelmed. At last, somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 a.m., he fell asleep, curled up on a blanket on the floor next to the couch Sam was stretched out on.

Sam watched the boy as he slept. He was struck hard by the child's innocence and vulnerability.

_God, he's just a baby. Why him? What's his life going to be like? Is he one of YED's victims or are his abilities a natural phenomenon? How many other people have I hurt? _His thoughts swirled, his heart ached.

Exhaustion finally overcame emotion, and Sam fell asleep with the sound of Kelly sobbing softly in her kitchen.

*****

Sam didn't want to leave. Not yet. He couldn't. There was something he had to do first.

It had been 3 days since the night in the chicken house. Dean was feeling well enough that he wanted to move on – away from the uncomfortable situation they had found themselves in; being dependent on a woman whose family they had destroyed, even if indirectly.

Kelly had treated them with nothing but care and concern, but there had been a number of times when Sam had caught her looking at him with that stony mask in place again. It worried him.

Sam was coming around the corner of the house with the last of their things when the sight before him made him pull up. Dean was sitting on the passenger side of the Impala with the door open. Kelly stood beside him with her arms folded across the top of the door. They were both watching Tommy who was some 30 yards away at a corral, feeding a carrot to his favorite horse.

_Too far away to hear their thoughts. _

"It's not going to be easy, is it?" Kelly was saying quietly.

"Never is." Dean's tone was gentle, understanding. "It's worth it, though."

Sam's heart felt like it was in his throat. He'd said that with conviction.

"I don't know if I can do this. I mean, how … what's ahead for him? How can I ..." Kelly swiped a stray tear away.

"You'll find the strength. I promise - you will. He's a good kid, Kelly. Don't forget that."

Kelly nodded as more tears slid down her face.

Dean reached out and laid a gentle hand on her arm and waited until she turned to face him. "No matter what - no matter how dark things get - don't _ever_ give up, okay? You _fight_ for him! And you stay together. You do that and you'll both be fine."

Sam swallowed hard at the strength of emotion he heard in Dean's voice. It was as if Dean were trying to convince _himself_ of that as much as he was Kelly.

Kelly covered Dean's hand with one of her own. "Thank you," she whispered.

The conversation seemed over, so Sam finished his trek to the car. Kelly turned toward him as he approached. Her face was drawn, her eyes were puffy and red, but she managed a small smile.

"All set?" she asked.

Sam swung the duffel bag into the trunk of the car and closed it up.

_Just man up and do it._

Sam stepped around the back of the car, closer to Dean and Kelly.

"Um, look, Kelly – I just wanted to say I'm sorry for…"

"No, Sam – _I'm_ sorry. I almost killed you – intentionally - and I got your brother shot. I can never make up for that."

"No – I mean… you don't have to. It's just…that's not…"

_Deep breath. You can do this_. Sam ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to get his thoughts a bit more coherent before trying again.

"Sam, I know about you and my dad."

_Ok, didn't expect that_.

"What?" was all he could manage to force of his mouth.

Kelly smiled sadly at him. "I've known for months. That's how I convinced Bobby to send you here." She took a deep breath. She seemed to think she owed the brothers a confession. "Tony went on a vamp hunt with Gordon Walker not long after … my dad died. When he came back, he was convinced that you were some sort of antichrist. Knowing Gordon, I dismissed it as lunacy at first, but then I put some pieces together and figured out what had happened with my dad. After that, it wasn't so hard for him to convince me. I never told Tony about Dad, though." She took a breath. "Anyway, when the Nukekubi showed up, it was too good a chance to pass up. So, I called Bobby and made him believe that I wanted you to do this hunt with me so that I could tell you I'd forgiven you. And then you had to go and save my life!" She gave a little ironic laugh. Tears wet her eyes then. "And there was the way you worried over your brother, how good you were with Tommy, how he looked up to you the way he used to do with Dad…" her voice caught. She took another deep breathe, regaining her composure. "And then when Tony put Tommy into the same category that we had put you in – I don't know. It was just … as if I was waking up from a bad dream and could finally see reality. You're no more a monster than Tommy is, Sam. I know that."

"Kelly, I'm sorry…"

She held up a hand to stop him. Her lip quivered. "Please, Sam. I know it wasn't really you. I know it wasn't your fault. I don't blame you – I never did - but please don't ask me to forgive you."

Sam's heart sank. Dismayed and hurt, he took a step backward, but Kelly reached out and took his hand. He was surprised to find that she was shaking even worse than he was. "Don't misunderstand me, Sam. I _want_ to – I do." Tears trickled down her face. "And I _promise_ you, I will. Just give me some time, okay?"

Sam nodded and was surprised to find that his own face was wet. He couldn't ask her for more than that.

And then she wrapped her arms around him in a heartfelt hug. "Don't worry, she whispered against his shoulder. "I won't take too long." She smiled amid the tears.

Sam returned the hug. "Thank you."

"Hey, Tommy," Dean said as the boy approached.

Sam and Kelly stepped apart to see Tommy watching them. The boy smiled at them and then looked at Dean. From the shocked expression that swept across Dean's face, Sam deduced that Tommy had used his abilities to speak to him.

"I told him it would be all right if he used his abilities with you and Dean," Kelly whispered to Sam.

Sam just smiled.

Dean recovered quickly and replied aloud. "You're welcome."

He suddenly smiled warmly at the boy. "You bet I will. You take good care of your sister, ok?"

Tommy gave Dean a quick hug and then turned to Sam and immediately wrapped both arms around his middle.

"_Hey, Buddy – you okay?" _

"_She makes me keep it a secret."_

It took Sam a second to figure out what the boy was talking about. _Ah – the abilities_. He rubbed the kid's back a bit.

"_You remember how scared you were in the chicken house_?"

Tommy nodded.

"_Well, your sister is scared, too. She's afraid if people find out, then they might think you're evil and try to hurt you_."

"_Like Tony did?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_But I'm not evil – neither are you._"

"_No, we're not." _

"_Then why did Kelly almost shoot us?"_

Sam sighed. How do you explain something so confusing?

"_When that happened, she really thought maybe we _were_ evil, but now she knows better. Listen, Tommy, all you have to remember is that she loves you and doesn't want anything bad to happen to you_. _She's only doing what she thinks is best – she's trying to protect you. You should let her."_

He was talking to Tommy, but his eyes were on Dean_. If only it was that simple with you. _The look on Dean's face told Sam that his brother was going to grill him over this private little conversation later.

"_Why am I like this_? _Why did Tony hate me so much?"_

Sam sighed, "_I don't have all the answers, Tommy. I wish I did. Just try to remember the good things your brother did_."

Tommy nodded miserably and sniffed_. "I don't want you to go."_

"_I know, but I'll come back to see you. I promise."_

Tommy squeezed him tighter. Sam found himself blinking back tears. Saying good-bye shouldn't be so hard.

"_Hey! You know you saved my life, don't you, Kiddo_?"

"_I did_?"

"_Absolutely; and that means I owe you - big time_!"

Tommy pulled back and looked up at Sam curiously. He seemed to brighten a bit. "_Really_?"

"_Really! It's in the Freaks' Code of Honor– 'When a man saves your life, you owe him big favors for as long as you live.'_"

Tommy looked at him for a moment and then grinned hugely. "_I like the Freaks' Code_!"

Sam smiled back.

_He's gonna be okay_.

"We gotta get going," Sam said aloud as he gave Tommy a last pat on the back and moved around to slide into the driver's seat.

Kelly closed the passenger-side door and bent down a bit to see into the window. "If you boys need anything – rabies shot, deworming, ear mite removal, anything - give a holler, okay?"

Dean grinned at her, "Think we'll pass! Thanks, anyway."

"Seriously, if you need anything – med supplies, backup, whatever, don't hesitate to call me."

"You do the same."

*****

Sam pulled onto the highway.

"Hey, Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you mean those things you said back there – about knowing I'm not evil… and being worth it?"

Sam saw a snarky reply coming, but then it died away and Dean's face grew serious. "Yeah, I did."

_He hasn't given up on me yet_. The distance between himself and his brother seemed to shrink just a bit. It felt good.

"Thanks for that."

"Welcome."

An awkward silence floated between them for a few minutes.

"So, where are we going?"

"Thought we'd go to Bobby's for awhile. Neither of us could fight our way out of a kindergarten class right now," Sam answered.

Dean nodded approval.

"Wait – you're not still mad at him, are you, Sam? I mean, come on, it's not the first time a man's been conned by a pretty girl with a sob story."

Sam thought a moment before answering. "No." Then he grinned. "But I guess that makes _him_ the idjit this time."

Dean laughed.

Sam kept grinning.

"What?" Dean suddenly got it. "No - you wouldn't!"

Sam's grin got wider.

"You're really gonna do it, aren't you?"

Sam laughed. "I think we've earned it."

Dean shook his head, laughing, and then wadded up his jacket and stuffed it between his head and the car window.

Settling in, still chuckling, he said, "Well, wake me up before the fun starts!"

Dean closed his eyes and was snoring softly within minutes. Smiling to himself, Sam used his knee to hold the steering wheel steady as he fished around in his right-hand jacket pocket. Pulling out a small, white object, he shifted it carefully over to the left-hand pocket –he wanted it out of sight in case Dean awoke- and snaked the tiny, padded attachment up to his ear. Then regaining his hold on the steering wheel, he guided the Impala down the highway, as strains of Collective Soul's _The World I Know_ drifted up from his IPod.

Tomorrow may bring the apocalypse, but for today, everything was good.


End file.
